


Invisible Enemies

by lea_hazel



Category: Seven Kingdoms: The Princess Problem (Visual Novel)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Community: 7kppmeme, Demo Spoilers, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-19 17:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4755686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/pseuds/lea_hazel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ana encounters an enemy that can't be punched into submission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Invisible Enemies

The next thing she knew, she was in her own bedroom, in her own bed, lying on top of the coverlet and staring up at the sagging silk of the canopy. Her vision swam and her head throbbed with a steady  _thump! thump! thump!_  that felt like her brain was pushing at her skull from the inside. When she tried to sit up she felt nausea crashing down on her like a tidal wave, and she let out a feeble whining sound.   
  
"Sora."   
  
She turned towards the sound of her name, moving more cautiously than before.   
  
Princess Anaele was standing by her bed, her forehead furrowing. There was a chair standing behind her and even in her current state Sora could surmise that Ana had been sitting by her bedside for an unknown number of hours.   
  
"Do not try to move, pretty Sora," said Ana.   
  
"What happened?" she asked, her voice coming out rough from her scratched throat.   
  
"You collapsed in the gardens," said Jasper, who had appeared from seemingly nowhere as was his wont, carrying a tray with a pitcher and a cup on it.   
  
Ana surged forward to snatch the cup from the tray, filled it carefully to the brim and held it to her lips. Sora considered protesting her competence, but her mouth tasted like felt and her lips were cracked, and her head was still thumping cheerfully to the beat of some unheard music. She wanted that water, and she was in no position to refuse help. How embarrassing.   
  
Once her thirst was slaked, she was again full of pressing questions. "What time is it? What  _day_  is it? Why does my head hurt so dreadfully?"   
  
"We were rather hoping," said Jasper sternly, "that you could illuminate us on that last point."   
  
"Uh," said Sora intelligently. "Yeah. Um."   
  
Ana went to her knees by the bed, staring at her intently, her brow, if possible, creasing even more deeply. "How long have you been ill?"   
  
Sora counted quickly. "Eighteen-- no, nineteen. Nineteen days."   
  
She could see Jasper's lips tighten almost imperceptibly. Princess Anaele was less restrained in expressing her dismay, springing to her feet with an unintelligible cry which Sora assumed was a Skaltish oath of some kind.   
  
"I haven't known about it for that long, though," she added belatedly. She elected to withhold the calculation of when she realized she'd been poisoned, recognizing that it was unlikely to improve the awkwardness of the conversation.   
  
Jasper sighed. "I will not bother asking why you didn't see fit to share this information with us."   
  
"I will!" said Ana.   
  
"I had it all under control," said Sora.   
  
"Clearly," said Jasper, "you did not."   
  
"The tea was helping," she said again. "Up until now, I barely had any symptoms. I was taking care of it just fine."   
  
"What tea?" asked Ana suspiciously.   
  
"Vail Isle has one of the best libraries in the world," said Sora, as though this were in any way relevant.   
  
Ana scowled.   
  
"I read about an herb that could help," she explained. "Since it grows on the island, I could gather as much as I needed and steep it as often as necessary. The tea worked very well, I had no symptoms for days and it was clearly effective at holding back the po--" she paused a split second too late.   
  
Sora watched as blood drained slowly out of Ana's face, leaving it even paler than it was naturally and with a curiously grey cast.   
  
"You've been poisoned," said the princess ineffectually. "I can't--"   
  
"You can't punch poison, Ana," said Sora. "There are reasons why I didn't tell anyone."   
  
Ana opened her mouth and spat out what could only be an interminably long string of invective.   
  
Sora sighed softly. This was exactly the sort of reaction she had been intending to avoid. However, it was an inescapable truth that her herbal infusion was no longer having the desired effect. In fact, her symptoms were worsening more rapidly than she anticipated.   
  
"None of my girls are herbalists," muttered the princess resentfully.   
  
"No," said Sora. "I did not think they would be."   
  
Ana's fists opened and closed involuntarily.   
  
Jasper cleared his throat delicately. "Your Highness, I believe Lady Sora could use a few more hours of rest, now that we're certain that her condition is stable."   
  
The princess shook her head sharply as if to clear it, and then nodded. Pausing at the doorway, she stabbed her index finger at Sora and said, "I will be back."   
  
"Lady Sora," said Jasper, "I intend to speak with Mrs. White on the subject of the castle's inventory of antitoxins. Assuming I can expect you to comply with bed-rest for the duration."   
  
Sora nodded and blanched at the renewed throbbing of her head. "I'm not going anywhere, just now."   
  
He nodded and departed, leaving her to her contemplation. Had she really expected the island's natives to be familiar with a cure for this particular poison, she would have approached them initially rather than relying on her own wits as she usually did. Yet all her research indicated that previous cases of poisoning had been fatal. She had no reason to surmise the existence of a known cure. Briefly she contemplated the possibility that the castle staff had knowingly withheld treatment, before dismissing it as implausible. At any rate, she was certain Jasper would have never done such a thing, even though such certainty was illogical, as she had only known the man for a few weeks.   
  
Her mind ran around in circles for a while longer, which did nothing to alleviate her headache. Try as she might, she could not puzzle out the logic of her situation. Eventually even her restless mind caught up with the fatigue of her ailing body, dragging her back into a deep, still, dreamless sleep. Whatever the solution to her existential mystery, she would not solve it tonight.


End file.
